The story of my cousin,
Martin Roos, who became a Bishop in Temeschwar

by Alex Leeb

Born on
October 17, 1942, in the village of Satchinez, the only child
born to Martin and Maria Roos. In 1942, Martin Sr. was forced to
join the German Army, after the war, he was a Prisoner of War in
the British Zone, in Germany, he never returned to his home
village Satchinez, in Banat.

In 1945,
Maria Roos, was one of the Donauschwaben being sent to the
labour camps in Russia. She worked in the coalmines of Russia
until the end of 1949. While Maria was in Russia, working in
the coalmines, Martin Jr. was staying with his grandparents in
Satchinez. After 1945, only Romanian and Russian was taught in
the schools. Martin Jr. took his elementary education in
Satchinez. Between 1957 and 1961, he went to Alba-Julia, in
Transylvania, where he took his High School. He studied Theology
and Philosophy.

When Martin Sr.
was released from prison in Germany, he worked on the farm in
Germany, until 1954. The situation in Romanian did not improve
for the German people living in Romania. Instead of returning
home to his family in Romania, he decided to make a move the
opposite way; he decided to join his sister-in-law and his
brother-in-law, who both lived in Canada.

Martin Sr.
worked in various places in Canada; he saved money to bring his
family to Canada. In 1961, Martin Sr. was united with his wife
Maria and his son Martin Jr. in Kitimat, British Columbia,
Canada. At the age of 19, Martin Jr. he met his father for the
first time in his life.

Even when
Martin Jr. was still in Romania, his goal was to enter the
seminary and become a priest. He found it difficult learning a
new language in Canada, after he already had taken Philosophy
and Theology in Romanian. Time was valuable to him and he wanted
to move forward quickly.

He decided to
finish his seminar in Germany. Late in 1961, he entered the
seminar in Königstein, Germany. On
July 3rd, 1971, he was ordained to the priesthood by
Bishop Carl-Joseph-Leiprecht, in the Dioceses Rottenburg- he
went to Temeswar, and in 1992, he was appointed as Monsignor to
the dioceses of Temeswar.

Bishop Sebastian Kräuter’s
health poor. When Pope John-II, visited Bucharest, on May 5,
1999, Bishop Kräuter, requested for his retirement. At
the same time, Pope John-II, appointed Martin Roos, Jr. as his
successor. On August 28th, 1999, Msgr. Martin Roos Jr. Was
ordained as the 7th Bishop, in the Temeswar dioceses.